Additionally, each of the military services has its own acquisition  policies which incorporate and enhance the DOD acquisition guidance.. DOD also canceled the Military  Standard pertaining to reliability at this time.. DOD stated that the Air  Force, Army, and Navy concur with our recommendations to their  respective Departments.. In the absence of an emphasis on the key reliability practices  we identified, we found decision makers for the programs we reviewed  prioritized other activities intended to have positive acquisition schedule  and cost impacts.. Selected Major Defense Acquisition Programs Did Not Consistently Reflect Key Reliability Practices

We reviewed seven major defense acquisition programs and found they  often reactively addressed reliability after identifying issues later in  development.. Specifically, DOD has highlighted the importance of one of the four key  reliability practices we identified: emphasizing reliability with contractors,  and Congress has passed legislation related to reliability.. The leading commercial practices we reviewed highlight the importance  of consistently collecting, sharing, and analyzing data from reliability  engineering activities to inform development efforts.. The programs  did not consistently adhere to key practices we identified in the  commercial sector:  reliability engineers were not leveraged early in the development  process,  reliability requirements were not realistic,  reliability was not emphasized with contractors, and  reliability engineering activities were not utilized throughout design  and development.. We identified the following key practices in  the commercial sector:  leveraging reliability engineers early and often, establishing realistic reliability requirements—for example, not  expecting a product to operate twice as long as its predecessor before  failing, emphasizing reliability with their suppliers, and employing reliability engineering activities to improve a system’s  design throughout development.. We recommend the Secretary of the Air Force issue policy emphasizing  the following three key reliability practices when planning and executing  acquisition programs:  leveraging reliability engineers early and often, establishing realistic reliability requirements, and employing reliability engineering activities to improve a system’s  design throughout development.. We reviewed documentation from these companies and the  2019 Reliability and Maintainability Symposium and found engineers  strive to identify reliability issues at the component and sub-system level  early in the development process to avoid expensive rework after  producing an entire system.. Without senior leadership emphasis on a  broader range of key reliability practices, DOD runs the risk of delivering  less reliable systems than promised to the warfighter and spending more  than anticipated on rework and maintenance of major weapon systems.
Why GAO Did This Study

DOD invests tens of billions of dollars each year in major defense acquisition programs, designing and developing technologically advanced weapon systems that warfighters expect will meet specific performance requirements, including reliability requirements. Systems that are not reliable make it more difficult for warfighters to perform their missions.
GAO was asked to examine DOD weapon system reliability. This report addresses (1) how selected companies in the commercial sector address reliability, (2) how selected DOD acquisition programs addressed reliability, and (3) the extent to which DOD leadership has highlighted key reliability practices.
GAO collected information on leading commercial practices at the 2019 Reliability and Maintainability Symposium and from four commercial companies known for delivering reliable products. GAO also assessed how seven DOD acquisition programs—both older and newer, and representing all the military services—addressed reliability; reviewed key documents and interviewed knowledgeable officials; and reviewed reliability-related guidance and policy from senior DOD leaders.

What GAO Found

The commercial companies GAO reviewed proactively address reliability. They strive to identify reliability issues at the component level early in the development process to avoid expensive rework after producing an entire system. GAO found these companies focus on the following key practices:
1. Leveraging reliability engineers early and often
2. Establishing realistic reliability requirements
3. Emphasizing reliability with their suppliers
4. Employing reliability engineering activities to improve a system's design throughout development
GAO found that the seven Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition programs it reviewed did not consistently adhere to these key practices (see figure). These programs often prioritized schedule and cost over incorporating the key reliability practices, and these systems generally were not as reliable as promised.
In 2019, DOD highlighted in a policy memorandum the importance of emphasizing reliability with contractors. However, the other three key practices have not been similarly highlighted. DOD has taken steps to accelerate weapon system development, and decision-making authority has been delegated to the military services. In an environment emphasizing speed, without senior leadership focus on a broader range of key reliability practices, DOD runs the risk of delivering less reliable systems than promised to the warfighter and spending more than anticipated on rework and maintenance of major weapon systems.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends the Secretaries of the Air Force, Army, and Navy highlight the importance of three key reliability practices: leveraging reliability engineers, establishing realistic reliability requirements, and employing reliability engineering activities to improve a system's design throughout development. DOD agreed with GAO's recommendations.